From just below the headwall of Island Peak, about 6000m. Extremely tired, cramping every step due to lack of preparedness. Very tough, very high, very lovely. Bottom right you can see a party of Austrians out for a stroll.

Island Peak is the “small” mountain at the centre of this picture. To put it in perspective, its summit is about 6150m, over six times the altitude of Ireland’s highest hill, Carrauntoohil. I remember the exact moment I took this picture, one of the younger trekkers in our group called it a day, he was sick and unhappy and the rigours of high altitude trekking didn’t suit him. It’s ironic that altitude seems to affect younger fitter trekkers. It was upsetting for the rest of the group, but I guess mountaineering is a selfish pursuit, and we carried on regardless, down a member but faster and lighter.